In addition to a full-fledged television set, the CEO of Internet video provider Brightcove also expects Apple to release a thin black bar that will add FaceTime video chat and motion control to existing, non-Apple televisions.

The new product would ditch the current "puck" design used by the Apple TV set-top box, Brightcove Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire speculated in an editorial published Monday by All Things D. He envisions an accessory about an inch tall and 3 inches wide that could be easily mounted to the top of any brand of HDTV.

"Like the existing Apple TV, it will have HDMI and power jacks on the back, but it will also include a high-def camera built into its face, as well as an embedded iOS environment that provides motion-sensing and speech processing," Allaire wrote.

This theoretical accessory is based on Allaire's belief that Apple's focus in the living room will not be in selling a full-fledged television set. Instead, he believes Apple will continue to advance its iOS platform and find ways to easily integrate it into users' living rooms.

In addition to a black bar compatible with any HDTV, Allaire believes Apple also plans on "dipping their toe into the actual TV monitor business." He expects that a full-fledged television set from Apple would offer capabilities identical to the hypothetical black bar accessory, but the full TV would also feature Apple's own design and form factor.

"Why would they do this when it is such an established market with such long replacement cycles?" he wrote. "In short, because they can, and it will be gorgeous and include the latest innovations in display technology, and will sell at a premium price that ensures a reasonable gross margin for Apple."

Based in Cambridge, Mass., Brightcove is an online video platform that serves major clients like The New York Times and Time. Its products offer HTTP Live Streaming for iOS devices, and can also allow content providers to convert video available in Adobe Flash to iOS-compatible HTML5.

Rumors of an Apple television continue to persist, and even picked up some steam last week following Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook's appearance at the D10 conference. During an onstage interview with journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, Cook said that although the Apple TV set-top box remains a "hobby," a refresh of the product to deliver 1080p video content helped sales reach 2.7 million so far in 2012.

"We're going to keep pulling the string and see where it takes us," Cook said of the Apple TV's role in the living room.

Last Friday, analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said he believes an Apple television is now a matter of "when," and not "if." He expects Apple will unveil the product later this year and launch it in the first half of 2013, with a price between $1,500 and $2,000 for screen sizes between 42 and 55 inches.

Originally Posted by melgross
It makes more sense than the other ideas we're seeing presented.

Er…

Quote:

Originally Posted by AppleInsider…Allaire believes Apple also plans on "dipping their toe into the actual TV monitor business." "Why would they do this when it is such an established market with such long replacement cycles?" he wrote. "In short, because they can…

Adding a webcam and facetime actually makes a lot of sense. There is probably a huge market for facetime between the boomer generation and their grandchildren. That alone would drive a market for the current ATV.

"In addition to a full-fledged television set, the CEO of Internet video provider Brightcove also expects Apple to release a thin black bar that will add FaceTime video chat and motion control to existing, non-Apple televisions."

I suppose its possible Apple might make a Wii sensor bar/Kinect. Sounds like a warranty nightmare though, as something set in such a position will likely fall over.

I don't see it as a problem. The Wii sensor and Kinect work that way. A small and light device would survive a fall with ease. There's no screen to break. Besides, there would be something to make a fall less likely. I'm pretty sure that's something Apple would be aware of, aren't you?

Read this article this morning and he makes a lot of sense. Was surprised that this was a CEO coming out. Makes it more believable than an "analyst" with "supply-chain checks." Come out with your different interface options with connections and then bringing out the integrated set.

I don't think their motivation is accuracy. They're probably just short on stories.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SolipsismX

It make a lot more sense than the previous stories about Apple seeing multiple 50" to 70" TVs in their stores.

Those ones really made me facedesk. I don't think those would fit well in your typical Apple store. Beyond that some people still do not seem to understand that Apple has never competed on specs. They typically address a good range of specs, but those aren't their primary selling point. In some cases I think they hold back specs in favor of things like battery life. Usually it's not too bad. Sometimes they push it like going really low on vram with certain gpus. The 2011 mini and one of the early 2011 macbook pros had gpus with only 256MB which is below the minimum official requirement for many things at this point.

I think he's the closest to what Apple will likely do. It makes more sense than the other ideas we're seeing presented.

It makes sense to me that in addition to putting out a full TV solution (if they in fact do so), Apple would continue to sell the add-on box for those that want to keep their existing setups. I'm not so sure about this "bar" though in that if it contains the things that the consumer would miss out on by not buying the full TV product, then it removes any need for a full TV product at all.

It seems like it might be a better strategy for Apple to come out with the full iTV, and continue to sell the add on box they currently sell today for those that just want the content. The added features of Siri and motion sensing etc. would then be the main reason to jump in and buy the whole TV set.

I still think (Tallest Skil aside), that it makes sense for Apple to sell the whole TV. It's a collapsing and generally f*cked up market that they could easily dominate and it just doesn't seem very "Appley" for them to make one or more types of boxes that plug into the rats nest of wiring that is today's modern TV/entertainment system. It's more like them to make a single black slab that does it all and only has one plug and an ethernet connection.

I don't think their motivation is accuracy. They're probably just short on stories.

Those ones really made me facedesk. I don't think those would fit well in your typical Apple store. Beyond that some people still do not seem to understand that Apple has never competed on specs. They typically address a good range of specs, but those aren't their primary selling point. In some cases I think they hold back specs in favor of things like battery life. Usually it's not too bad. Sometimes they push it like going really low on vram with certain gpus. The 2011 mini and one of the early 2011 macbook pros had gpus with only 256MB which is below the minimum official requirement for many things at this point.

I don't see why people keep saying that it makes no sense for Apple to sell TV's in the Apple store. I understand the "feeling" but I don't see what the rational arguments against it are.

To me, this is similar to the "OMG why would anyone use an iPad to take pictures with!" thing. I understand how it feels kind of goofy, but it's a great camera with a giant viewfinder and there's really no rational reason not to do it.

If Apple does make a TV, they would no doubt want it to be competitive size wise. Why wouldn't they have a 50", 60" and 70" TV? And what would be wrong or difficult selling them in the Apple store? What's the difference between that and selling them in Sears or the Bay or anywhere else?

In addition to a black bar compatible with any HDTV, Allaire believes Apple also plans on "dipping their toe into the actual TV monitor business." He expects that a full-fledged television set from Apple would offer capabilities identical to the hypothetical black bar accessory, but the full TV would also feature Apple's own design and form factor.

I still think a separate "black bar" would be too much trouble for end-users. The HDTVs on the market vary too much in size and shape, so it would be tricky to engineer attachment hardware. And Apple has eliminated all mechanical fiddling from their computing products and accessories, so I doubt they'd want to re-introduce that with any manner of "black bar" accessory. Also, after you've figured out how to attach it to your TV set, you'd need to aim it at your couch or your normal TV viewing spot. Even more of the type of end-user hassle that Apple works very hard to avoid.

In addition, if the iSight camera has significant value (for family FaceTime calls, high-resolution gesture recognition for gaming, biometrics for identifying individual users in the room, etc.) then Apple could help boost sales of their actual HDTV set by making it an exclusive. The current Apple TV could remain more or less the same, with neither a camera nor a microphone. The future Apple HDTV set could have a built-in iSight camera and a microphone for Siri commands. Together they would enable vastly simpler interaction with the TV, justifying its price. Thus, Apple could have both low-cost and higher-cost TV solutions.

(As an aside, Apple has been working on biometrics and face recognition since iPhoto '09. Combine 2d face recognition with 3d focal distance measurements using an iPhone or iPad or iPod touch camera at close range and you could create a reliable biometric authorization system. One that couldn't be fooled by a snapshot like certain Android forks.)

There isn't an LCD panel that looks halfway decent when compared to a good plasma--except for the latest iPad. Apple will have to accomplish a feat of that stature (in a much larger panel) to impress. Unfortunately most consumers seem more attracted to garish color, such as offered by the usual LCD TVs and Samsung AMOLEDs. But then Apple doesn't cater to most consumers. It promises to be interesting.

It make a lot more sense than the previous stories about Apple seeing multiple 50" to 70" TVs in their stores.

He's still saying that. This is for those that like their Samsung etc tvs and aren't ready to buy a 'real Apple tv'.

And I call BS. First on the change of shape from a puck to a bar. Don't see it. Second on the notion that they would had a camera to the bar/puck. That you could only get that in the Apple Display would be a selling point for the display. Until then you'll have use the camera in your iphone/ipad (not unlike the guy in the Wii U video from yesterday) for your FaceTime and you get no motion control.

And note that I said Apple DISPLAY not TV. Because that's what I think this really is. The Apple TV will stay what it is not, a box. the bigger unit is a revamp of the Apple Cinema Display line. Thinner body, built in wall mount hardware, HDMI inputs, Retina level display etc. You can use it with your computer, your apple tv, your blu-ray etc. Same camera, usb etc like the current ACD. New bigger sizes that will only be sold online but like other online items you can have shipped to you or to a store for Personal Pickup. At least in the areas with smaller stores. Big shops like in NYC will have a unit or two of each size in stock since they have the space

I wonder if we'll ever get an update that enables the viewing of iTunes LP on the Apple TV... like the original one could do years ago. :(

And the Extras. Apple TV and iPad.

Not to mention some kind of system that if I get one of those apps like Warners has put out I can view the movie in or out of the app. There should be some way since the movie was bought in app via iTunes to sync it up. Same if I bought the movie before the app came out. It shows as 'bought' in the app so I can stream it on the road, see the features etc.

I suppose its possible Apple might make a Wii sensor bar/Kinect. Sounds like a warranty nightmare though, as something set in such a position will likely fall over.

Sounds like a trade dress nightmare to me. Given how quick Apple has been to slam Samsung with that on the sketchy similarities it seems a given that someone else would render payback on Apple for a similar sketch.

I don't see why people keep saying that it makes no sense for Apple to sell TV's in the Apple store. I understand the "feeling" but I don't see what the rational arguments against it are.

They are saying it is illogical because the stores don't have space for it. Not based on the footprints we can judge. Now I suppose if every store has some secret vast warehouse in the basement we don't know about, the game is different.

But most of the stores look like they are so small in the back areas that after you take out space for a break area, lockers for employee stuff, a tiny little bathroom, the clean room for the Geniuses to open computers and an office for the managers, there's just not enough space for all the existing stock and a bunch of giant tvs. It's not logistically practical. They would have to give up space for the iDevices etc that they sell hand over fist to make room for something that might see 2 a month.

It wouldn't surprise me if Apple is prototyping an actual TV set with an isight camera and siri intigration. Their were rumors earlier this year of a TV set floating around the design studio. I'm sure they prototype a lot of things, some of which become products they sell, many others do not. If they do plan to release a TV set it's because they think they can improve upon what's already out there.

I don't see why people keep saying that it makes no sense for Apple to sell TV's in the Apple store. I understand the "feeling" but I don't see what the rational arguments against it are.

To me, this is similar to the "OMG why would anyone use an iPad to take pictures with!" thing. I understand how it feels kind of goofy, but it's a great camera with a giant viewfinder and there's really no rational reason not to do it.

If Apple does make a TV, they would no doubt want it to be competitive size wise. Why wouldn't they have a 50", 60" and 70" TV? And what would be wrong or difficult selling them in the Apple store? What's the difference between that and selling them in Sears or the Bay or anywhere else?

See you're thinking very unApple like. Different sizes is not what Apple does. They find one size they think is perfect and stick with it. Those big sizes will not sell well overseas. I'm thinking more along the lines of one 42" or 47" TV at most.

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" Mark Twain"Just because something is deemed the law doesn't make it just" - SolipsismX

See you're thinking very unApple like. Different sizes is not what Apple does. They find one size they think is perfect and stick with it. Those big sizes will not sell well overseas. I'm thinking more along the lines of one 42" or 47" TV at most.

Well .. no.

First Apple does do sizes, you only have to buy an iMac or a MacBook to know that. Secondly, TV size is a rapidly evolving business and anything below 50" is now considered "small." Once they are sold off, you probably won't see 42" TV's for sale much anymore. No one wants them if they can get bigger at the same price (and they can).

I still think a separate "black bar" would be too much trouble for end-users. The HDTVs on the market vary too much in size and shape, so it would be tricky to engineer attachment hardware. And Apple has eliminated all mechanical fiddling from their computing products and accessories, so I doubt they'd want to re-introduce that with any manner of "black bar" accessory. Also, after you've figured out how to attach it to your TV set, you'd need to aim it at your couch or your normal TV viewing spot. Even more of the type of end-user hassle that Apple works very hard to avoid.

In addition, if the iSight camera has significant value (for family FaceTime calls, high-resolution gesture recognition for gaming, biometrics for identifying individual users in the room, etc.) then Apple could help boost sales of their actual HDTV set by making it an exclusive. The current Apple TV could remain more or less the same, with neither a camera nor a microphone. The future Apple HDTV set could have a built-in iSight camera and a microphone for Siri commands. Together they would enable vastly simpler interaction with the TV, justifying its price. Thus, Apple could have both low-cost and higher-cost TV solutions.

(As an aside, Apple has been working on biometrics and face recognition since iPhoto '09. Combine 2d face recognition with 3d focal distance measurements using an iPhone or iPad or iPod touch camera at close range and you could create a reliable biometric authorization system. One that couldn't be fooled by a snapshot like certain Android forks.)

Most Tv's sit on a table of some sort, so this could be put on the table in front, where the bottom bezel is. For flat screens that are mounted on a wall, it could be clipped either to the top or bottom.

I don't see a problem at all. This is certainly no more trouble than finding a place for the aTv now. And millions of people are using the Wii sensor, and millions more are using the Kinect. In addition, millions bought seperate web cameras over the years. This isn't so different.

They are saying it is illogical because the stores don't have space for it. Not based on the footprints we can judge. Now I suppose if every store has some secret vast warehouse in the basement we don't know about, the game is different.

But most of the stores look like they are so small in the back areas that after you take out space for a break area, lockers for employee stuff, a tiny little bathroom, the clean room for the Geniuses to open computers and an office for the managers, there's just not enough space for all the existing stock and a bunch of giant tvs. It's not logistically practical. They would have to give up space for the iDevices etc that they sell hand over fist to make room for something that might see 2 a month.

You're saying that Apple has no space on the walls of their stores for a big monitor?

See you're thinking very unApple like. Different sizes is not what Apple does. They find one size they think is perfect and stick with it. Those big sizes will not sell well overseas. I'm thinking more along the lines of one 42" or 47" TV at most.

One size? You mean like the two sizes for the iMac. The two sizes for the MacBook Airs, and the three sizes for the iPod line and the MacBook Pro's?

Those kinds of one size?

Just as with those devices, and perhaps even more so, there is no perfect size. So far, that only been the case for the iPhone, and that may change. As for Tv's, there are many perfect sizes, depending on the room, and how far you sit from the screen.

Screen size depends on how far away from the screen you are. If you live in an apartment, you probably would be overwhelmed with something larger than 55 inch. Yeah, for big rooms, people will want much larger to get that cinematic experience, but those people would probably opt for a projection system in a dedicated home theater room.

Then it comes down to quality. Some people are blind and deaf when it comes to what high quality audio and video are. People sometimes regret buying the TVs that are cheap, because they realize afterwards that they wanted 1080p when they actually got 720p and/or the refresh was low or some other factor that produces a less than decent picture quality. In order to get quality, one must spend at least $2,500 or more. Some people i have talked to refuse to buy LED, they will only buy plasma, which are typically more expensive.

They are saying it is illogical because the stores don't have space for it. Not based on the footprints we can judge. Now I suppose if every store has some secret vast warehouse in the basement we don't know about, the game is different.

But most of the stores look like they are so small in the back areas that after you take out space for a break area, lockers for employee stuff, a tiny little bathroom, the clean room for the Geniuses to open computers and an office for the managers, there's just not enough space for all the existing stock and a bunch of giant tvs. It's not logistically practical. They would have to give up space for the iDevices etc that they sell hand over fist to make room for something that might see 2 a month.

Well, those are good reasons if true. I wasn't aware that there was much information on how much room they had in the back of the store and the only pictures I've seen of same were of one of the larger stores that showed really quite vast spaces back there. That being said, I would be surprised if anyone opened up a store anywhere in the last fifty years or so that didn't have some kind of standard loading bay access that would allow for such large items to be shipped in.

I would argue also that most large TV's like the ones we are talking about are delivered to the users home instead of being strapped to the top of your car or chucked in the back like the old days. I know the USA is a "special" place when it comes to this sort of thing with the prevalence of giant trucks and even bigger "big-box" stores but in Canada and in Europe the norm would be to go to the store, pick your model, and have it delivered to your house the next day.

Screen size depends on how far away from the screen you are. If you live in an apartment, you probably would be overwhelmed with something larger than 55 inch. Yeah, for big rooms, people will want much larger to get that cinematic experience, but those people would probably opt for a projection system in a dedicated home theater room.

Then it comes down to quality. Some people are blind and deaf when it comes to what high quality audio and video are. People sometimes regret buying the TVs that are cheap, because they realize afterwards that they wanted 1080p when they actually got 720p and/or the refresh was low or some other factor that produces a less than decent picture quality. In order to get quality, one must spend at least $2,500 or more. Some people i have talked to refuse to buy LED, they will only buy plasma, which are typically more expensive.

I mostly agree with you.but there is no such thing as an LED Tv. This is marketing that Egan with Samsung for their LCD models that were backlit with LED's. I wish people would call them L CD sets, because that's what they are.

As for pricing, if Apple came out with a 55" model for $2,000, that's not really all that expensive. 55" models go for as much as $4,000. This would definitely be a medium priced set at that price.

One size? You mean like the two sizes for the iMac. The two sizes for the MacBook Airs, and the three sizes for the iPod line and the MacBook Pro's?
Those kinds of one size?
Just as with those devices, and perhaps even more so, there is no perfect size. So far, that only been the case for the iPhone, and that may change. As for Tv's, there are many perfect sizes, depending on the room, and how far you sit from the screen.

We did well with TVs smaller than 42" for a very long time and most people still do. I dont see Apple going bigger than 50".

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" Mark Twain"Just because something is deemed the law doesn't make it just" - SolipsismX

We did well with TVs smaller than 42" for a very long time and most people still do. I dont see Apple going bigger than 50".

Most people I know are buying sets between 45-55". I have a 61" and I'd like a bigger one. We can now buy LCD models up to 85". The average size is continually rising as well, just like computer monitors. One time 12" was considered to be just fine.

My prediction: There will not be a TV, instead there will be a TV interface device that is a hybrid of the iPad and AppleTV, that will be specialized to connect to a variety of TV's via airplay. It will feature Siri, and Apple will launch the device with several partners who will manufacture TV's that will connect to the device out of the box wirelessly. You'll use it to control the TV, and play content on the TV, but it won't actually be used to play content on the device itself. Then we'll all just use our iPad/AppleTV hybrid devices (iPlay?) to control our entire entertainment experience using our voices from the convenience of a couch from across the room. It will replace all remote controls and the pitch will be that your TV no longer needs any of the other boxes connected to it. The iPlay will play games, channel surf, play all sorts of content from iTunes/Netflix/etc., play slide shows from iPhoto, and can even pull up your calendar and email if you want it to.

Makes sense on a number of levels:

1. Market for people who already have flatscreens>People who are itching to replace their flatscreens

2. Lower price point = bigger market potential

3. Small device can easily integrate into Apple Stores

4. Solves the "Remote Control" problem - there is definitely a market for people who want a better way of controlling all their entertainment devices. This thing would be the solution, and that would be it's primary selling proposition.

I imagine it will also require Apple to move the football forward on it's negotiations with Studios re: Video content. But if that happens, I think this is where all the arrows seem to be pointing.